Heywood PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Heywood PCN is a primary care network of 5 GP practices with 34,921 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England. Its practices have 1,782 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 5 practices in Heywood PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 67% at Argyle Street Medical Centre to 92% at Birtle View Medical Practice, with a median of 82% (England: 77%). 2 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error. Birtle View Medical Practice has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (81%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birtle View Medical Practice | 4,842 | 92% | 81% | Good | 1,526 |
| Hopwood Medical Centre | 9,847 | 88% | 81% | Good | 2,564 |
| Heady Hill Surgery | 3,411 | 82% | 79% | Good | 1,142 |
| Longford Street Medical Centre | 8,334 | 77% | 67% | Good | 1,877 |
| Argyle Street Medical Centre | 8,487 | 67% | 39% | Good | 1,646 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 503 responses, against Greater Manchester and England.
| Survey question | Heywood PCN | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 80% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 67% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 64% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 69% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 78% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 79% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 84% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 91% | 90% |
There are 1,782 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Heywood PCN, fewer than England's 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. Practices recorded 451 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 61% of them face to face. 56% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
18% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists grew by 0.0% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Heywood PCN | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 1,782 | 2,055 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 451 | 445 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 61% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 56% | 44% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 6% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 18% | 16% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Heywood PCN is copd (3.4% against 1.9%), and the furthest below is atrial fibrillation (2.1% against 2.2%).
| Condition register | Age group | Heywood PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 23.7% | 14.3% | 6,343 |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.3% | 15.2% | 5,995 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.7% | 7.9% | 2,361 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.5% | 6.6% | 2,414 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.4% | 4.6% | 1,441 |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% | 1,425 |
| COPD | All ages | 3.4% | 1.9% | 1,186 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.4% | 3.0% | 1,173 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% | 756 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% | 719 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.6% | 1.2% | 194 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% | 492 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% | 444 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% | 271 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% | 261 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% | 293 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% | 291 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% | 235 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% | 191 |
- Canalside PCN (7 practices)
- Middleton PCN (6 practices)
- Pennines PCN (6 practices)
- Rochdale North PCN (7 practices)
- The Bridge PCN (5 practices)
Which practices are in Heywood PCN?
Argyle Street Medical Centre, Birtle View Medical Practice, Heady Hill Surgery, Hopwood Medical Centre and Longford Street Medical Centre.
How do patients rate Heywood PCN?
80% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, against 77% across England.
How many patients does Heywood PCN cover?
34,921 registered patients across 5 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Heywood PCN have?
1,782 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.